Breaking Point
by SilverCrescentMiko
Summary: There was never an Uzumaki clan in Konoha, nor are there any records of that name. Naruto always wanted to know his roots...but now that he does, he wishes that he was still ignorant. NejiNaru
1. The scroll and father

Breaking Point

I started thinking about this after reading some fics where Naruto found out his father was the Yondaime. I've also read some fics where they show Yondaime just before the sealing. I realized that every human being has their breaking point…well what if this news was Naruto's breaking point? I hope that you like this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Small errors and typos fixed 11.6.2006 Reposted 11.8.2006

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Father…

That name used to mean so much to me.

I used to imagine what my life would be like if I had a family.

What life would be like if I could just be normal.

Not Kyuubi.

Not the troublemaker.

Not dobe.

Just Naruto.

Hmph…"Be careful what you wish for." I finally understand it now.

I really wish that I didn't though.

This morning I got called to 'baa-san's office.

When I got there she and Ero-Sennin were talking…

Talking…no beatings or anything…just talking.

Every instinct that I had was screaming for me to leave and not look back.

Dammit…I really need to listen to my instincts more often that I do.

When they noticed that I had come in Ero-Sennin sat down with his face in his hands.

'baa-san just looked at me like she wasn't sure what she was doing.

Finally I got annoyed enough to ask what the hell was going on.

I quickly cringed waiting for the sensation of flying through another wall…

It never came.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw her clenching an old looking scroll in her hands.

Gulping nervously I took the scroll from her hands as she held it out to me.

Looking down at the scroll I was surprised to see my name on it.

Well sort of, the name was Kazama Naruto, and as we all know my name is Uzumaki Naruto.

I kept thinking that I had heard the name Kazama before, but I couldn't figure out where.

Ero-Sennin placing his hand on my shoulder jolted me out of my thoughts.

Okay, that was just weird. It was almost like he was trying to comfort me.

But what the hell would he need to comfort me for?

Its just some stupid scroll from Kami knows where.

Heh, I really wish that had been the case.

I know that I act stupid and childish, but I'm actually pretty smart.

I figured out pretty quickly that whatever was in the scroll was not gonna be pretty.

I also figured out that whatever was in the scroll had something to do with me.

I really hate being right sometimes.

"Naruto, you need to smear some blood over the name, and the scroll will open."

Ero-Sennin looked so tired…and just old when he told me that.

Nodding my head I did what he told me to do.

Just like he said, the scroll opened and my world crumbled to pieces around me.

I had a father…

As I read I could begin to feel the stirrings of anger mix with the sadness and confusion.

Sadness because the only communication I would ever have with my father would be scrolls.

Scrolls written just before and just after my birth.

Confusion, because this scroll said that it was to be given to me the night I became a genin.

Anger because I was beginning to think that I was the only one who hadn't known.

Finishing the scroll, I rolled it up carefully and placed it into my pocket.

Looking up I felt a weird sort of satisfaction at seeing 'baa-san and Ero-Sennin flinch.

"Did…Did you know all along?"

My voice came out so hoarse and strained that for a second I was shocked to realize that it was mine.

I didn't need to hear them speak to know the answer.

Their eyes said everything.

Clenching my fists tightly I barely managed to choke out, "Why?"

"Why couldn't you tell me?"

"All this time you've known who my father was. All I ever really wanted to know was my father's name, and yet no one would give me even that. I never had a grave to visit or take flowers to. NOTHING!"

By this point I was shaking so badly that I was amazed I hadn't tried to break something…

Anything to help ease this horrible pain in my chest.

"Nobody even knew that he had a child…much less a son. Why is that? Why did no one ever try to tell me before now? What was so horrible about me that no one could know who my father was?"

Inhaling sharply I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling.

This was just too much…

I felt my mask shatter…my mask that I had worn for so long…could no longer protect me.

I felt the years of bitterness rising up inside of me, and I knew that I finally had to let some of it out.

"I understand. It's because everyone thinks that I'm Kyuubi. There is no way that Kyuubi could possibly be the son of someone as great as Yondaime right? I wasn't good enough to be his son, regardless of what he thought. That's why I had my name taken from me right?! Dammit! That was my father's name! Probably the only thing I was left other than a few scrolls…"

Trying to calm down I forced myself to take a couple of deep breaths.

Opening my eyes I glanced up to see that 'baa-san had tears running down her face and Ero-Sennin wouldn't even look at me.

Stalking across the room I grabbed the other scrolls from the desk and walked to the door.

Opening it I paused for a few seconds to say one last thing.

"I am leaving Konoha. I can't stay here any longer. So you might as well mark me down as a missing nin because I won't return. Because I no longer have anything to return to."

Whispering the last few words I walked out the door and slammed it shut behind me.

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Okay, I finished this. I'm still debating on whether I want this to be a one shot or not. I also realize that he might seem a little ooc. But hey, he's thinking and this is all from his viewpoint. Most people are different when they think. Either way, please review and let me know what you think.


	2. Fight or Flight

Breaking Point

Yay! I got the second chapter all done. Just so that you know…I think that I will continue to do this is 1st person POV. It's kinda fun actually. Also…I have no clue for pairings so if you have a suggestion then let me know. I am open for anything so it doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl. About Yondaime's name…I made my brother look around for the name on various sites online, and the name that kept popping up was Kazama Arashi…so that's the name that I'm gonna use. Personally I think it fits Yondaime perfectly…but please enjoy the story and review…I'm begging you to review…. Sorta…

-'Thinking'-

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Yondaime would still be alive, and Naruto would totally kick ass.

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After I left 'baa-san's office, I started walking to my apartment. In a lot of ways I suppose that this was a good thing. Regardless of whether my mask is on or not, I have a bad habit of making rash decisions. The time that it took me to walk to my apartment was giving me the time I needed to think things through. It also gave me some time to adjust myself to the thought of my father.

-' If I leave Konoha, then I'll be giving up everything that I've worked so hard for. Leaving means that I would be giving up. I won't give up…I refuse to give up. Running will undermine the trust that my father had in me. Even if he couldn't raise me, he believed that I would be strong."

Looking up as I walked through the village, I realized that the looks of hate weren't there anymore. Before now, I hadn't realized that the looks had stopped. I guess I was so busy keeping my mask up, that I didn't have the time to notice. Sighing heavily, I grimaced slightly as I looked down at my clothes.

-'I'm going to stop this. I refuse to be the stupid dobe that they've seen all these years. Continuing to act like an idiot is nothing less than a disgrace to my father's legacy.'-

Slowing down as I reached my apartment I came to a decision. A fairly big one too. I decided that I would fight to regain the name of my father. If I can regain what was taken from me, then becoming Hokage should easy.

-'First thing that I'm going to do, is dress according to my status. I'm not a stupid genin. It's time that I finally let them know about it.'-

When I left for training with Ero-Sennin he made me take the second Chunnin exam they held that year we left. I passed of course, but then a month later I was forced to take the Jounin exam. I didn't even know that I was going to participate. Ero-Sennin just grabbed me and threw me into the arena with a really loud 'kick their ass' for inspiration. When we sent the news back to Konoha, I asked for it to remain a secret. Imagining their reactions caused me to start smirking.

I still hang around with the rest of the Rookie 9… but now that I think about it…

We've never been what you could call friends.

Sure they tolerate me, but that's it they just tolerate me. There are only a few of them that I would willingly call friend. My mouth thinned out into a hard line as I realized something else. I would need to change the interactions that I had with them. Shaking myself out of my thoughts I looked up to see my apartment…and something else.

-'I've died and gone to hell! I'm only 15 dammit! What the hell have I done so wrong in 15 years of life? Is it really possible to have pissed off that many Kami's?'-

Straightening my body, I walked up to the small gathering outside of my apartment. I didn't even bother to look at them as I brushed my way past them. Feeling a movement of air behind me, I dodged a fist that had been sent my way. Glaring at Kiba I began to talk rather icily.

"I hope that there is a reason for you being here. I wasn't aware that you even knew where I lived."

Looking around, I noticed that everyone had decided to come "visit" me. Hearing someone moving towards me, I tensed my body slightly when I noticed that it was Sakura.

"Naruto! You baka! We came because Tsunade-sama sent us. What the hell…"

Feeling my eyes harden as she began to speak, I cut her off before she could get going on her rant.

"Haruno-san, I would prefer it if you wouldn't address me so familiarly. Although you are my teammate, we are not close enough for you to use my name as such. Please keep that in mind the next time that you feel the need to address me."

Taking note that everyone seemed to be in a sort of daze, I took advantage of it. Quickly pushing my way through them, I managed to get into my apartment before they noticed. Rolling my eyes when they started pounding on my door, I went to my bedroom. Smiling happily, I knelt down beside my bed, and pulled out a box that I had hidden underneath. Opening the box, I took out clothing that I had in there and changed. Finally I grabbed the vest that I had in there and put it on for the first time since receiving it.

Hearing my front door shatter jerked me out of my reverie. Shaking my head, I left my room and went to meet some furious people.

Walking into my living area I was struck by the huge aura of killing intent directed towards me. Eyeing my door, I gritted my teeth before I turned my attention to the people now gathered in my apartment. Raising an eyebrow at them I began to speak.

"I'm going to assume that 'baa-san sent you here to stop me from leaving. I'm not going to leave Konoha, so I would appreciate it if you told her that. Also, I would like for you to tell her that I'll be back there in a bit to apologize for my words earlier." Rubbing my temples, I glanced over to the door where four of the guys were standing. "Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino, think you guys could stay here for a bit? I got something I need to talk to you about." Seeing their nods I turned to go back to my room…but then that damn idiot just had to open his mouth again. And people say that I'm loud?

"Oi Naruto! What the hell are you doing with a Jounin vest on? You're still a genin you idiot!"

Turning to glare balefully at Kiba, I reigned my anger in before I snapped.

"I am wearing a jounin vest, because unlike you, I have been a jounin for the past three years. Ero-Sennin forced me to take the jounin exam when we left. However, I'll answer all your questions later. I have some things that I need to take care of. So, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to have some semblance of privacy."

I sent a quick look of appreciation to the only four I could call friends. Kiba had opened his mouth again, and they took that opportunity to shove them all outside. Fixing my door the best that we could, I asked them to follow me to my bedroom. Grabbing my clothes off the floor, I removed the scrolls that I had in them. Finding the scroll that I was looking for I tossed it over to Neji. Flopping down on my bed I waited silently for their reactions to the scroll's contents.

"Your real name is Kazama Naruto?"

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I was going to write more, but I really didn't want to have this chapter run on and on. So I decided to split this up into two parts. Plus, it makes it a lot easier on me. Writing while you're in the hospital is not the easiest things in the world. I should have chapter three out soon. And yes, I am aware that there are a lot of loose ends at the moment, but I promise that within the next couple of chapters everything will begin to tie together. Also Kyuubi will be making an appearance soon, I swear that I haven't forgotten about the stupid furball. So until then, Ja ne!


	3. Yondaime's Legacy

Breaking Point

Okies let me start of with some responses to some really good points from the reviews. I actually had to go look at my notes for the story to make my response…so here goes.

Rookie 9 Reactions: One day Naruto is acting normal (i.e. Annoying, loud, overconfident…etc…etc…) then the next day he threatens to become a missing nin. On top of that he was really cold to Sakura. With the exception of Kiba, everyone else was in either shock or relief (i.e. Four were happy that Naruto finally dropped the damn mask.) Naruto manages to ditch them each time, before all hell breaks loose.

Tsunade and Jiraiya: In my opinion these people are like Iruka to Naruto. Meaning that they are the closest thing to a family that he has. I don't know about you but when I'm really upset, I try not to take it out on my family. Yelling at your friends is one thing, but to do that to your family is different. I think that because Naruto grew up as an orphan that family is very important to him. Hence the reason that he didn't go on an extended yelling scene. In the back of his mind he knew that he needed to calm down, so he did the only thing that he could think of…he left. More reasons behind this will come up later.

Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Shino: Yes, they do know the "real" Naruto. This is a big reason why they are considered his only friends. When he's with them, he's still basically Naruto, but toned down, and way more expressive. The story between the 5 of them will come up soon I promise.

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Now that I have that taken care of I want to thank the people that reviewed when I first posted the story.

So, MasterFranny, ProzacFairy, taggerung999, and Chiron2104, I really want to thank you guys for that. You made me so happy! Either way please read and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Smirking slightly at the question, I sat up on the bed so that my words wouldn't be muffled.

"Yeah, my name is supposed to Kazama, and Yondaime is my father. But for some reason they changed my name to Uzumaki and denied my heritage. That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. I want to get my name and heritage back, but for me to do that, I need help. I need to know who did it and why and I can't figure it out on my own."

Looking around the room I felt reassured when I noticed that Shikamaru was already deep in thought. From our group he's the one to go to when you need help figuring something out. Shino is good for information gathering. Neji and Sasuke are great for when you need to blow off some steam in a spar, or need someone to watch your back in a fight or mission. Speaking of the devil, Sasuke hitting the side of my head rather hard startled me. Seeing the look on his face, I decided that it would probably be in the best interests of my health to let it slide, but where would be the fun in that? Narrowing my eyes at him I rubbed my head as I started talking.

"Is there something bothering you, Sasuke-teme?"

Seeing the dark look that he sent me made me jump up off my bed. Hiding behind Neji I waited for Sasuke to calm down before he set my apartment on fire or something. The last time that he set my apartment on fire trying to set me on fire, we got pulled into 'baa-san's office. Because of that we got sent on the worst mission ever. We had to substitute for Iruka-sensei at the Academy. Something to do with learning patience and understanding. Translation: Stop bugging Sasuke, and he'll stop trying to set you on fire. At least I think that was what it was about.

Sighing I decided that it would probably be best to apologize and just get it over with.

"Look, I realize that you're upset with me because of what I told 'baa-san. I'm sorry, I let my emotions get the better of me, and I said something that I didn't mean. You know that I won't leave Konoha like that." There I said it, and it didn't hurt too badly, at least he looks a bit calmer now. That's a really good thing too, because I don't have the money to buy a new apartment right now. Hearing Shino clear his throat, I turned my attention back to Shikamaru. Have I mentioned yet how lucky I am, that they are all my best friends?

"Naruto, didn't you say that Sandaime always took care of you when you were younger?"

"Yeah, he made sure that I always had food and that I was taking care of myself."

"Then we may have a problem. It doesn't stand to reason that Sandaime would do that if he were the one responsible. The only other people with enough power to deny you as heir would be the council."

Seeing the look in Shikamaru's eyes unnerved me a little. The only times I've seen him with that look is during missions.

"I'm going to assume that the council being involved is a bad thing?"

"The council is comprised of the clan heads. If enough of them are united then they can attempt to force the Hokage's decision."

"Neji, you said the clan heads right? So doesn't that mean that we can ask one of them about it? You know, preferably one that knows and likes me?"

"That isn't necessary, dobe. My father kept detailed records of the council meetings. We can look through those for the answers that we need."

"Thanks for the information, Teme."

Feeling Shino's hand on my shoulder, I turned to look at him questioningly. It's not often that Shino touches someone voluntarily, personally I think that he prefers touching his bugs.

"Naruto, we need to finish this discussion. Hokage-sama is likely still upset, so it would be best to calm her soon. The others are also waiting for your explanation."

Nodding my head, I turned back to Shikamaru. I suppose that if Shikamaru can't think of a good plan, then we could always talk to Gaara. Since he's Kazekage, he has a bit more understanding of this stuff than we do. Actually, it might not be a bad idea to just send him a message now. We could really use his help with all of this. That way we have a better idea of what it is that we're doing here.

"Oi Shika? What do you think about asking Gaara for some help?"

"…"

"Shika are you even listening?"

"…"

Rolling my eyes I turned to look at Neji, begging for help. Out of all of us, he's the only one that can snap Shika out of his little thinking fests. Well, Temari can do it too, but when she does it I just feel bad for Shika. She can be really scary when she wants to be. She's the only person we know that can intimidate all of us. It's kinda funny to see her yelling at Sasuke though. Before that one incident I didn't even know that it was possible for him to stutter. Snickering slightly at the memory, I started laughing when I saw Shika's reaction to Neji saying Temari's name. Calming down, I decided to repeat the question so that we could leave.

"Shika, do you think it would be a good idea to ask Gaara for some help?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of inside information on this. We should also ask Hokage-sama about this while we're there. Getting the council to do what you want them to won't be easy. We'll have to be very careful about how we do this." Closing my eyes briefly to let Shika's words absorb I spoke up again. "Good, because I don't want to take the chance that we'll mess something up here. This is really important to me. I just found out who my father is, and I'm not going to let someone decide that they can take that away from me. Believe it!"

Grinning at the looks on their faces I decided to continue. "I know that we have a lot of work to do. Especially when you consider that everyone still thinks that I'm some sort of idiot. But like I said, regaining my father's name is really important to me." At this point Neji decided to butt in with a rather snide remark. "If you truly believe that, then it would be in your best interests to refrain from using that phrase. I believe that we did in fact make a rule banning the usage of that phrase." Smiling apologetically at Neji I decided that we could leave the details for later and began to leave the room. Well at least I tried to.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" I decided that I really didn't want to turn around. Shikamaru is really smart, but there are times like this that I wonder about him. I mean really, I thought that we all knew that after this we would be going to 'baa-san's office. Sighing softly, I choose to just answer him and then leave. "I need to go to 'baa-san's office and apologize. Preferably before she decides to send Anbu after me. I would really hate to have to hurt them again. I don't think that they've forgiven me for the last time. But then again, it was their entire fault. Stupid idiots wouldn't let me into her office…" Still grumbling about the stupidity of the Anbu I managed to make my way out of the apartment, vaguely aware that the others were with me. Walking quickly we made it to the tower in good time.

Taking a deep breath I understood that it would be best to just get this over and done with. My feeling of nervousness and guilt increased the closer we came to 'baa-san's office. I mean, honestly, what was I going to say to her? Would a simple sorry really make up for what I said? I knew that she didn't think of me as the Kyuubi, and yet I accused her of that. She wasn't even here when I was born, so there was no way that she could have known about it all. The sharp elbow I got in the ribs from Sasuke made me collect my scattered thoughts as well as realize that we were already in front of her office. Looking at the Anbu outside of her door I had only a few words to say.

"Move, I'm here to see Hokage-sama."

"Hokage-sama is currently speaking with Jiraiya-sama, so you will have to return later." Looking closely at the masks of the two Anbu in front of me, I made three observations. One, I had never seen the rabbit or the tiger mask before. Two, this meant that they were new Anbu. Three, I swear that idiot was smirking at me under his mask. Cracking my knuckles loudly, I allowed the two to see my wide smile before asking softly.

"Are you sure about that?"

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There, Chapter 3 is now done; I also have a little bit of chapter 4 done so I thought that I would post a little excerpt from that one. I should have chapter 4 done this weekend and posted by Monday. That's assuming that I don't get really sick or anything between now and then. Ja ne!

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Chapter 4: Friends and Teammates

"Trust? You want to talk to me about trust? What reason have you ever given me to trust you? My entire life, you've done nothing but ridicule my dreams and…me. Even now, when I show you the real me, you still attempt to ridicule me. What part of this is supposed to make me fall at your feet and beg for your friendship? If this is all that you wanted to say, then I think it would best for me to leave now." Turning away I tried to control the feelings of anger and hurt that were running rampant.


	4. Friends and Teammates

Breaking Point

All right, I finally got this stupid thing to load the way that I want it to.

Disclaimer: No matter what the voices in my head say, I do not own Naruto.

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Dusting my hands off, I gulped anxiously as I stepped over the two Anbu towards the door. Stretching my hand out, I let it rest on the doorknob. Glancing behind me, I felt reassured that I wasn't going to have to go in there alone. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and silently made my way into the room. As I entered, the greeting that I had ready, died on my lips.

'Baa-san.

My 'baa-san was crying.

Here I thought that it was impossible for me to feel any worse than I already did. Apparently I was wrong. Crossing the room to her desk quickly, I placed my hand on her shoulder, and my breath caught in my throat when she looked up.

"_All this time you've known who my father was. All I ever really wanted to know was my father's name, and yet no one would give me even that. I never had a grave to visit or take flowers to. NOTHING!"_

Closing my eyes against the onslaught of memories, I wrapped my arms around her and began to whisper.

"_Nobody even knew that he had a child…much less a son. Why is that? Why did no one ever try to tell me before now? What was so horrible about me that no one could know who my father was?"_

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"_I understand. It's because everyone thinks that I'm Kyuubi. There is no way that Kyuubi could possibly be the son of someone as great as Yondaime right? I wasn't good enough to be his son, regardless of what he thought. That's why I had my name taken from me right! Dammit! That was my father's name! Probably the only thing I was left other than a few scrolls…"_

"Naruto."

"_I am leaving Konoha. I can't stay here any longer. So you might as well mark me down as a missing nin because I won't return. Because I no longer have anything to return to."_

When I heard her voice my heartbeat slowed down, and the memories from earlier began to fall silent once more. Feeling her arms wrapped around me gave me the time that I needed to regain my composure. I'd been so afraid that she would yell at me when she saw me, and I can't say that I wouldn't deserve it, considering how I acted earlier—

"Dammit kit! Would you stop feeling sorry for yourself already? You're driving me insane."

Hearing Kyuubi's voice jerked me back from my mental dissertation and instead moved me onto more productive feelings and thoughts. I mean honestly, how hard would be to drive a kitsune crazy? Particularly when the kitsune in question has just interrupted a rather spectacular pity party. I wonder if having Kyuubi sealed in me was my father's idea of a joke. I mean, everyone has said that he was a great prankster before he settled down for lack of a better term. Sealing Kyuubi in your only child in hopes of driving them insane with the never-ending sarcastic diatribe must have seemed like a great way to go.

Agh, I'm getting away from myself again, I have to remember that talking to your self is the first sign of mental instability. Honestly, it is. If you need proof look at Sasuke, he walked around for years talking about how he was going to kill Itachi and the different ways that he was going to do it. I think he even had a list at one point in time. Maybe I should do something like that, come up with a list to find out how many different ways there are to drive Kyuubi insane.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I looked up rather startled. Neji was looking down at me rather worriedly. Gently removing 'baa-san's arms from around me, I stood up. Nodding at Neji to let him know that I was all right, I asked him something quietly.

"Do you think that you can let everyone know to meet us at Ichiraku's in about a half hour?"

Sensing more than seeing his agreement, I waited for everyone in the room to leave, before I turned my attention back to 'baa-san. My voice was quiet, but still firm when I began talking to her again. She told me that she had found out about the scrolls after one of the council members let something slip. It was a month later before she managed to get the scrolls into her possession. Leaning against the wall, I asked her for some advice about the council.

"You can't just threaten them, gaki. To make the council change their decision, you're going to need all of the support that you can get. That includes the heads of the major clans. And in order to get their support you're going to have to drop the act."

I already knew most of that. The good thing to all of this, is that my closest friends happen to be the heirs to the major clans…well most of them anyway. The problem is going to be convincing the others that I'm not just an extension of the Kyuubi.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you thought about what happens after you get your father's name back?"

Looking at her my head tilted to one side questioningly. "What do you mean?"

She hesitated for a couple of seconds like she wasn't sure about what she wanted to say. Finally, she figured out what she wanted to say and started talking again.

"Arashi is a legend with shinobi. Everyone knows about Konoha's Yellow Flash. The thing is, your father made a lot of enemies. Getting your name back is going to be like walking around with a target on your back. People looking for revenge will come after you. I just want you to be sure that this is what you want, gaki."

Moving back to 'baa-san, I kneeled down in front of her. Lightly holding her hands in mine, I looked up at her as I spoke softly.

" 'baa-san, a name means a lot to a shinobi. Your name shows what clan you're from, and who your family is. It doesn't matter what the consequences are; this is something that I have to do. I can't claim to be my father's son if I'm not willing to do this. Being afraid of what problems his name will cause me isn't the way to honor his memory." Smiling at her, I let go of her hands and stood up once again. Straightening my clothing, I walked silently to the doors of her office. Holding open the door, I turned back around and grinned at her saying, "Wish me luck." Before the doors closed behind me, I heard her say, "Tell them _everything_, Naruto."

Leaving the building, I blinked stupidly when I saw who was outside waiting for me. Okay, maybe dropping the act is going to take a bit of work on my part.

"We're going to be late, Naruto."

"I thought that you went with the others to Ichiraku's"

"How are you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I was concerned about your emotional wellbeing. You do have the disturbing habit of suppressing your emotions."

Not caring that I was stopping in the middle of a busy street, I tugged at his hand to make him stop too. Hugging him, I whispered, "Thank you," before I let go and started walking again. It didn't take him too long before he caught up with me. I blushed faintly when I felt him squeeze my hand reassuringly when we reached Ichiraku's. Sitting down with the others, I sighed heavily before starting my explanation. Amazingly, they managed to stay quiet long enough for me to tell them everything, my mask, Kyuubi, my jounin status.

"You mean this whole time has been nothing but a lie?"

Damn. I knew this was too good to last.

"It hasn't all been lies. I just showed everyone what they expected to see."

And once again everything has gone to hell. All of them started yelling, trying to get answers from me.

"There's no way—"

"What do you mean you're a jounin?"

"You mean you're not an idiot?"

"What the hell—"

**SLAP!**

Wincing, I brought a hand up to my throbbing cheek while I stared in disbelief at Haruno-san. Scanning the room I noticed that the others had moved to stand beside me when she hit me.

"I'm your teammate. All that time that we were on the same team and you never trusted me?"

Inhaling sharply, I glared at her, as I stood abruptly from my seat.

"Trust? You want to talk to me about trust? What reason have you ever given me to trust you? My entire life, you've done nothing but ridicule my dreams and…me. Even now, when I show you the real me, you still attempt to ridicule me. What part of this is supposed to make me fall at your feet and beg for your friendship? If this is all that you wanted to say, then I think it would best for me to leave now." Turning away I tried to control the feelings of anger and hurt that were running rampant.

"Naruto, I—"

"Don't call me that. I believe that I've already told you that Haruno-_san_. If you feel the need to address me, then use Uzumaki."

That said, I left Ichiraku's.

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Next chapter is a brief look into the past.

Chapter 5: Bitter Seals

"Your shinobi skills aren't the only thing that you've kept hidden, is it Naruto?" Hearing the rapid breathing of the small blonde, he sighed softly before he went on. "Your abnormal chakra, the seal on your stomach, your birth date, and the simple fact that you aren't dead…" Raising his pale eyes to meet the shocked blue ones before him, he finished his speech.

"Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi, did he?"


	5. Bitter Seals

Breaking Point

Gomen! Final exams and all of that lovely school related stuff is finally done. Until school was over my computer was taken away from me, so this is the first chance that I've had to finish up this chapter. Hope you guys like it. There's a few more chapters like this one, they're meant to explain the background with the guys/girls. Let me know what you all think.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is this story, not the actual characters.

Edits and Repost done 11.8.2006

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Three Years Earlier:

Naruto sat in his hospital bed sulking at the injustice of having to stay in the hospital until 'baa-san let him out. Pulling idly at a loose string on the blanket covering him, his head snapped up when he become aware of someone coming into his room. His eyes narrowed briefly before he forced his face to relax into a blinding smile.

"Neji—"

Throwing himself to the ground he winced as his sore body made impact. Rolling to an upright position he held a kunai in one hand as his eyes looked at the shuriken that was buried in his bed. Turning his gaze back towards the door, he forced himself to stand as he quickly hid his kunai. Leaning on the bed, he grasped the shuriken to pull it out, but stopped at the quiet voice that spoke.

"How much have you been hiding from everyone Naruto?"

Fiercely stomping on the maelstrom of emotions within, he forced himself to pull out the shuriken. Turning around, he forced another idiotic look onto his face as he grinned at Neji.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

Watching the pale-eyed shinobi, he turned away to hide his trembling hands, as he moved to get back into bed.

"An injured shinobi should not have been able to dodge that shuriken. Or more to the point, _you_ should not have been able to dodge it…especially in your weakened state. Need I go on, Naruto?"

Naruto's thoughts ran in a confusing jumble, as he gingerly heaved his body back onto the bed. Clenching his fists tightly against the wave of pain that washed over him, he stiffened. Cracking open his eyes, he was shocked to see that Neji was pulling the blanket back over him. Following him with his eyes, he swallowed a groan when he saw the Hyuuga seat himself in the room. Sitting down meant that he was getting comfortable. Getting comfortable was in no way a good thing for Naruto. 

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**Neji POV**

Looking up as he heard a sharp intake of breath, he frowned at the sight that met his eyes. Moving quickly to the blonde's side, he straightened and pulled the blanket over him before sitting. From his chair he frowned once more as he took note of the dark circles underneath the brilliant blue eyes. Cursing himself for not waiting for answers, he steeled his nerve and began to question Naruto again.

"Naruto, you dodged that shuriken. The way that you moved wasn't just luck. It was purely instinctual. You dodged and then landed in a position that would be easy to defend from. That isn't a normal reaction from somebody with below average shinobi skills."

Halting momentarily, he gathered his thoughts and nerve once more before he continued on quietly.

"Your shinobi skills aren't the only thing that you've kept hidden, is it Naruto?" Hearing the rapid breathing of the small blonde, he sighed softly before he went on. "Your abnormal chakra, the seal on your stomach, your birth date, and the simple fact that you aren't dead…" Raising his pale eyes to meet the shocked blue ones before him, he finished his speech.

"Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi, did he?"

Holding his gaze, Neji held his breath as the tension in the room began to mount. Standing up, he began to pace around the small room as he spoke once more.

"One of the things that they teach us as shinobi's is to 'Look underneath the underneath'. It never occurred to us that we should apply that to our fellow shinobi as well. Your mask is well constructed Naruto. However, what I would like to know, is why you felt the need to hide things like that." Hearing a bitter laugh from Naruto, he stopped pacing, and turned to face him, before his mind went completely haywire.

"You might want to close your mouth, Hyuuga-san."

Hearing Naruto's slightly mocking tone, he snapped his mouth closed. Composing his face again, Neji tried to calm the frenzy inside of him. He seemed so different, when he wasn't squinting his eyes; acting like an idiot or forcing his voice to a …higher… pitch…

"Is the real me truly that disturbing, Hyuuga-san?"

Groaning in exasperation as he realized that he had been speaking out loud, Neji mentally berated him self.

_-'I need to get a grip. That's the second time that I've acted like a complete fool. You would think that I was a child, with the way that I'm acting.'-_

Carefully wiping the emotion from his face, Neji forced himself to repeat his last question. "Why did you hide all of this from us?" Keeping his eyes on the blonde, he was satisfied to hear the smooth voice respond to him softly.

"What reason did I have to trust any of you, Hyuuga-_san_? The entire time that we were at the Academy, you never noticed me. It was as though I was beneath your notice, beneath _you_. Perhaps I should have enlightened everyone in between the 'dead-last' jibes? Don't you realize that the truth would have only made my existence worse?"

Closing his eyes briefly, Neji moved towards the door. Stopping in front of the door, he spoke softly.

"I may not have noticed in the Academy, but I do now. I regret that I ever accused you of not understanding my situation. As ridiculous as this may sound coming from me, I apologize. If you ever feel that you want to discuss this again, I'm sure that you can find me."

Leaving the room, Neji closed the door behind him quietly and leaned against it.

_-'I did what I came here to do. He helped me when I needed it, I hope that I can help him in the same way.'-_

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Clutching the blankets between his hands tightly, Naruto tried to calm down. A small whimper escaped his lips when another wave of pain passed through him. Relaxing when the pain lessened, his eyes widened, as his mind processed what Neji had said. Rolling onto his side, he hugged his pillow tightly as hot tears made their way down his face.

_-'Maybe I should try…'- _

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A Few Hours Later:

"So…what do you plan on doing?"

"Huh?" Startled Naruto jerked his head up to look at the man that had practically raised him.

"What do you plan on doing about Neji?" Crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall, the silver haired jounin looked at Naruto pointedly. "He's already managed to figure most of it out by himself. You can't let everyone think that you're an idiot for the rest of your life, Naru."

Moving his body into an upright position on the bed, Naruto winced as his body protested against the movement. Turning his gaze down onto his hands, his cerulean eyes darkened as he remembered the events that led to his injuries.

Sighing as he looked at the small blonde's slumping shoulders, he felt a fresh surge of guilt. His visible eye hardened, as he became lost in memories as well. He could still recall the broken look on Naruto's face when he had found him. He had thought his heart would stop when he found the blonde in a pool of his own blood. Terror had been a constant companion for him on the way back to Konoha. If Tsunade-sama hadn't already been at the hospital helping the others, he might have lost the boy.

Things definitely shouldn't have turned out the way that they did. When he first realized that Naruto was opening up to someone other than himself or Iruka, he was genuinely happy. As more time passed though, he began to grow concerned. He had struggled desperately to keep both boys from becoming lost and in the end he had only managed to save Naru, and even that was pure luck. He was drawn from his depressing thoughts by a small voice.

"Aniki?"

Surprised at hearing Naru call him that again, Kakashi raised his eyes to meet the uncertain blue gaze of his charge. His eye softened as his thoughts were running around in circles at hearing that name from the blonde once more. When he'd been assigned as the sensei for Team 7, Naru had abruptly stopped calling him Aniki and had begun to call him sensei.

"You should give Neji a chance, Naru. He's already proven that he isn't like Sasuke."

Watching as those expressive blue eyes clouded once more at the mention of Sasuke, he cursed the Uchiha in every language that he knew. He'd been afraid that Sasuke was behind Naru's reluctance to accept someone else into his life. In a swift, fluid motion, Kakashi had moved from the wall and opened the door. Stepping out into the hallway, he glanced at the quiet boy sitting in the bed, before he made his way out of the hospital.

Left alone in his hospital room again, Naruto kept repeating Kakashi's words in his mind. He already knew that Neji wasn't like Sasuke. Neji had proven that after the Chunnin exam. Unlike Sasuke, Neji had been able to let go of the hate that he'd been holding onto for so long. And that was the main problem. Sasuke's decision had hurt him more than he wanted to admit. Sasuke had been the first real friend he'd had that was his age.

His small frame began to shake as he finally let go of the emotions that he'd tried so hard to ignore. As he sobbed, his mind was inundated with various images of all the times that he'd spent with Sasuke. When they had first met each other, neither could have predicted that they would eventually end up accepting each as friends. At first he had thought that Sasuke was nothing more than a stuck up, spoiled brat. But like all things in life, his opinion changed and matured. He began to realize that beneath Sasuke's indifferent façade, there was an actual living breathing human being. Ultimately, they had ended up as the best of friends.

But everything changed when Orochimaru and that stupid curse seal came into the picture. The Uchiha began to distance himself from the blonde. Their once playful spars and arguments had taken on a darker quality; it seemed as though Sasuke's façade was becoming a horrible reality. When he heard the news that Sasuke had left the village, he'd wanted nothing more than to just wake up. After all, Sasuke would never betray them…betray him…so undoubtedly it was just a really bad nightmare.

It wasn't a nightmare. It was all too real. Still he had somehow managed to hold onto a faint tendril of hope that it was all just a horrible misunderstanding. He used this tendril to hold up the fragile walls of what was left of his world. His world came crashing down around him however, when he had to fight for his best friend…

As they fought each other, their eyes spoke volumes more than the heated words they exchanged. It seemed that even in this, the bond that they had forged was still as strong as it was before. As the time came for the final blows to be delivered, Naruto had made the mistake of looking into Sasuke's eyes again. Or perhaps it was just fate and not just some idle mistake.

Whatever it was…it showed him all that he needed to make his final decision. Everything happened so fast, that he only had time enough to change his aim. As his Rasengan hit the symbol of the Leaf Village, he'd smiled fleetingly before pain overwhelmed his senses. In the instant before Sasuke's hand entered his chest, he'd seen a spark of emotion within those obsidian depths. It was that sight, more than any other that had shown him, the overwhelming rightness of his choice.

As his body continued to shake from the force of his crying, Naruto recalled that faint emotion he'd seen. Regret. The faint tendril that had clung to his heart tenaciously slowly began to take form once more. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he sniffled as his eyes took on a renewed look of life in them. Aniki was right, Neji wasn't Sasuke. A bittersweet smile crossed his face as he came to a decision.

Before he would leave with Ero-Sennin, he would try to open his heart to others. Neji could and never would be Sasuke. However, Neji had already shown that he could be the support that Naruto so desperately needed. And when the time came for him to leave, he could leave knowing that he had at least one friend waiting for him to return. Hopefully.

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Done done and done.


	6. Domino Effect

Breaking Point

All right, flashes of the past are done for the moment, and it's time to get on with the main story. And I have come to a final decision about pairings. To all of you that wanted a het pairing, I'm sorry. I've thought about it and I've come to the conclusion that I just can't put Naruto with a girl. I'm sorry if this will cost my fic readers, but the only female that I could honestly put with Naruto is Temari. And that won't work because I already have plans set into motion for her.

Disclaimer: You know, I know, and everyone else knows, that I don't own Naruto.

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Chapter Seven:Domino Effect

Sitting on top of the Hokage Monument, I decided to read my father's scroll again. As I read the night air, dried the tears that had dripped from my now wet eyes. Staring down at the scroll, I finally absorbed the enormity of its contents. When I'd read it a few days ago, the only thing that stayed in my mind was that, I finally knew who my father was. After that, I'd snapped because I didn't know how else to deal with the information.

Since then, I really haven't had the chance to stop and think about it a bit more. And to be honest, why would I want to? My father was Yondaime. My entire life I'd done nothing but idolize the man, even _after_ I'd found out about Kyuubi. Although, I'd never let myself acknowledge that it was his decision to seal Kyuubi in me. Now that I know the man was my father, I guess I kinda have to sort through my feeling about it all. Am I supposed to hate him for what he did? Or do I just accept—

"Naruto? What are you doing up here?"

Tilting my head up, I saw Shikamaru looking down at me. Lying down, with my back pressed against the cold stone, I answered him.

"Hey Shika. I just came up here to think."

"Che, how troublesome. Do you realize that you were supposed to meet us an hour ago at Sasuke's place?"

Hearing Shika lay down next to me, I cringed as I remembered about the meeting that we were supposed to have tonight. I'd managed to forget about it. Tucking my arms underneath my head, I stared up at the clear, night sky.

"Hey, Shika?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you think my father did, what he did?"

"What do you mean?"

Sitting up again, I brought up one of my legs and rested my chin on my knee. Struggling to find the words I needed, I looked out over Konoha. Running a hand through my shoulder-length hair, I turned to look at Shika, as the words came to me.

"I mean, why did my father choose to seal Kyuubi in me? Why not someone else? And…and why did he leave me alone?"

As my voice trailed off into a whisper at those last words, I was left shocked. It hadn't occurred to me that I might be upset with him for dying. Sighing heavily, I furiously blinked back the tears that were welling up in my blue eyes. His eyes that I'd ended up with, thanks to that lovely little thing called genetics. Hearing Shika's voice, I pulled myself from my thoughts to listen.

"You told us a while back that you understood what it meant to be Hokage. If you understand that, then what's the problem?"

Standing up, I walked to the edge of the monument. Staring down at the faces carved into the stone below me, I asked myself the same question. Why are things different now? Why can't I understand my father's reasons? My eyes widened slightly as I recalled my last thought.

"It's not the Hokage's decision that I have a problem understanding. It's my father's."

Continuing to stare down at the stone faces that stood guard over the city, I was surprised when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders. It's not often that Shika will actually touch someone, I think he has some issues with that because of Ino. Smiling softly at his action, I leaned my head against his shoulder, as I listened to talk.

"Growing up you had both Sandaime's and Kakashi's protection, because of the fact that you were _his_ son. Any other kid, and there's a chance that they wouldn't have been able to see past the seal on their stomach. He died so that you'd have a chance at living. While his name gave you the shelter you needed to continue living."

Shifting my head off of his shoulder, I began to walk away slowly. I didn't need to turn around to know that he was there with me. His words had made everything clear for me. My dad did what he had to do so that Konoha would survive, and at the same time he also made sure that I would too. He did the only thing that he could, that would allow him to be both father and Hokage.

In his letter, he seemed to be convinced that I would hate him. Of course, it's possible that it would have been like that if I didn't have the friends that I do. But, I can understand now. I understand why he did it. If he hadn't, everyone would have died, and Konoha would have been gone.

A small chuckle escaped my lips, and pretty soon I was stopped in the middle of the path with full-blown laughter. I don't know why I really started laughing, it just…it just felt right. Like maybe the laughter was getting the last of the depressing thoughts out of me. It's funny you know? For years the only people that I trusted were Sandaime, Kakashi and Iruka-sensei. And now, well now I have the best friends that I could ever ask for. They don't laugh at my dreams, they fight beside and for me, and they also listen to me.

It's amazing how things are led by a domino effect. Once my thoughts about my dad were cleared up, everything else came into sharper focus as well. As my laughter calmed, I saw Shika just standing there shaking his head at me. My random outbursts of laughter don't even faze them; they just accept it as something that's uniquely me. Or maybe it's just a sign of mental illness.

As we made our way through town to the Uchiha district, I couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling. I just knew that I'd forgotten about something else. Something really important that 'baa-san had told me about.

As we reached Sasuke's house, we stood outside the door as I finally remembered what it was that I'd forgotten.

"Um, Shika?"

"Yeah?"

"I just remembered that 'baa-san told me that Gaara was coming for a visit a few weeks ago."

"And?"

"They were supposed to get here today."

Glancing over at Shika, I noticed that his face had completely drained of color. If it weren't so serious I would probably tease him about it. But as it is…

"They?" His voice came out rather shaky. Nodding my head, I turned anxious eyes towards the now opening front door. Illuminated by the light, she managed to seem even scarier than usual. Glancing over at Shika I raised an eyebrow in question. Turning as one we both calmly proceeded to leave the area. Well, we tried to anyway.

"Naruto! Shikamaru!"

Sharing a look of complete and abject terror, we slowly turned around to face Temari.

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Chapter Seven is now done. I'm going to be concentrating on getting chapter six finished for HT. Until then, new chapters of this story will be delayed temporarily.


	7. My life is a Nightmare

Breaking Point

This chapter isn't going to be in 1st person. I tried and it just wouldn't work. Plus, I ended up getting bit by the plot bunny for this story, so I'm trying to get as much written as I can.

Disclaimer: If you really think that I own this, would you be willing to buy a bridge?

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Chapter 8: My Life is a Nightmare

"It's not going to work."

Pulling a sheet of paper from among the stack of them on the table, he showed it to the others. His face tired, he suppressed a yawn as the others tried to digest the information. Thumping his head on the table, his voice was muffled as he spoke.

"The clan heads only make up a part of the council. That paper shows that there are also representatives for the different shinobi classes as well as villagers. It's one thing to convince the clan heads, but how are we going to convince the villagers? But what's really problematic, is the fact that the shinobi didn't even vote. It was a decision made entirely by the clan heads and the villagers."

Unnerved by the silence that followed his statement, he raised his head up off of the table. Blushing slightly at the incredulous stares he was receiving, he pulled the stack of papers towards him. Shuffling though them, he found the two that he was looking for. Placing them side by side in the center of the table, he began to explain.

"Look, this is a record of the votes that night. Compare it to the full council roster, and you notice something's missing. Not _one_ of the shinobi council members cast their vote."

"Dobe?"

"What Teme?"

"How the hell did you figure that out?"

"You don't honestly think that 'baa-san does all of that paperwork herself, do you?" Naruto said with a smirk. "I've been handling the paperwork since I came back. After awhile, you learn to look for the small things. Especially since the other villages like to make wording more difficult then it really needs to be."

Turning towards Shino, he spoke. "Shino, we need to know why the shinobi's didn't vote. I also need to know when the next council meeting is. We need to know how much time we've got to organize our information into something that's presentable. I know it's a lot to ask, but would you?"

Receiving a nod in affirmation, he turned his attention next to Neji, and Sasuke. "You two are the most closely connected to the clan heads, so if you would talk to them? We need to start sounding them out on their opinions about me. See if you can find out the reasons behind their decisions. If need be, we can use that later on. Alright?" Without waiting for confirmation from the two he looked at Shika. "Shika, I know that you hate doing anything, but you're the only one that can do this. Since you work in the tower, you have access to the different files in there. Especially the ones that I can't get access to without looking suspicious. We're going to need to find the birth records for October 10th. If nothing else, it'll give us a bit more proof to substantiate our claims. Is there anything that I've forgotten?"

"We need to learn of the villagers feelings towards you. Should you gain their support, that should sway a few of the more reluctant shinobi's or clan heads that you may encounter."

Groaning loudly at Gaara's suggestion, Naruto let his head fall onto the table once more. And then continued to hit it against the table. "My – **thud** – Life – **thud** – Is –**thud** – A – **thud** – Nightmare."

Slumping exhaustedly in his seat, Naruto rubbed his temples in an attempt to ward off the impending headache. His sapphire orbs snapped open as he remembered something he'd managed to forget in the confusion of the past couple of days. Standing from his seat wearily, he moved to leave the room, as the others asked him where he was going. Not pausing, he said, "I'm going to go see 'nii-san about something.

"Can't it wait?" Temari asked worriedly "You're exhausted, you really need to get some sleep."

"Nope, I'm taking Ebisu's genin out for a mission tomorrow."

Hearing the other chairs in the room scrape the floor as their owners vacated the chairs, he turned an amused smile towards them. As he turned back around to see his way out, a wave of dizziness and an incredible stab of pain hit him in his ankle. Stumbling, he felt someone grab him before he could have a painful meeting with the floor. As his eyes widened, he looked up to see Sasuke's concerned eyes before everything went black.

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Oooooohhhhhhh, I think I love this chappie. But the next chapter will be up soon; I need to have some action, so action it is for the next one. BTW apologies for the chappie being so short, but it was just the perfect spot to cut it off without giving out clues to some things that are secret for the moment.

SilverCrescentMiko


	8. Pieces of a Puzzle

**Breaking Point**

To warn all of you now so that you're not surprised when it happens, this will be how the rest of the story is written, and all previous chapters are in the process of being rewritten into this format. When they are done and reposted I'll let everyone know, as things will inevitably change because of this.

P.S. This chapter is kind of dark, and Naruto may seem OOC, but that's the point of it all. Everyone has different sides to them that they rarely show anyone.

Disclaimer: Since I'm not asleep, the unfortunate answer is that I don't own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.

Chapter Eight: Pieces of a Puzzle

Moving through the trees at a steady pace, Naruto was relieved that this mission had managed to go so smoothly. He'd had this niggling feeling at the back of his mind that something was going to go wrong, but nothing had. Instead they had delivered the list of participating genin to the Mist village for the upcoming Chunnin exams and had left to return to Konoha with no problems. Now they were in the forest surrounding the village and in another hour they would be back home.

The thought of being able to relax at his own apartment without the constant worry over the three genin in his charge brought a merry grin to his face as he slowly increased his pace in his hurry to return. A stinging sensation in his neck nearly caused him to stumble and fall from his place in the trees. Clapping a hand to his neck, he stared dumbfounded at the small bug that lay squashed in his palm.

Instantly his eyes widened as he felt a feeling of weakness pass through him as his chakra reserves fell sharply. Alarmed at the realization he tried calling the stupid fox to find out what the hell it thought it was doing, but his feeling of dread only worsened when the fox didn't respond to his taunts.

Motioning for the three youths to stop his eyes took on a thoughtful gleam as he considered his options. The fact that Kyuubi's chakra had just disappeared bothered him since they'd all used up quite a bit of chakra running through the trees in their hurry to make it home. If they were to get in a fight now, they'd all be in some major trouble especially since the kids had no practical fighting experience. He needed his chakra to protect them but instead it felt like it…had been…sealed.

Rapidly flipping through seals, he slammed his bleeding hand down onto a nearby tree branch. A small puff of smoke appeared and he looked down at the small toad perched precariously on the tree limb before him. Crouching down so that he was level with it he whispered quietly. "Gamakichi, I need you to get to Konoha fast. Find Neji and the others and tell them to meet us in the forest just to the west of the village walls okay?" Waiting patiently for the adolescent toad to race off, he turned to look at the three kids once Gamakichi was out of sight.

"Something's wrong." He said in a voice barely louder than a whisper as the severity in his tone grabbed their immediate attention. "From here on, you listen to what I tell you to do. _NO_ arguing with me about anything, understood?" Nodding dumbly, they fell into line behind the blonde as he began to run at a fast pace through the trees back to Konoha.

Mentally running through every curse he'd ever heard Kakashi say, his eyes kept a wary look at their surroundings. Opening his senses briefly, he felt reassured at the familiar chakras keeping up with him before he frowned at the unfamiliar ones that were following them at a distance. Unwilling to stop and take the chance that they weren't ANBU he started jumping through the trees faster, apprehension fueling his movements as the chakras behind them slowly closed the distance remaining between the two groups.

Holding up a hand in a gesture for the three following him to stop, he hastily performed Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and winced at the noticeable drop in his chakra as three bunshin popped into existence. "Find out who's behind us. If you don't recognize them, then distract them long enough for us to get out of here, got it?" He ordered in a low voice before turning to face the three youths. "As for you three, we need to conserve our chakra so get down to the ground now."

Barely repressing a wince at the reaction his tone earned, he shook it off as he hopped down to the ground with his group. "Ano…What's wrong Sensei?" Looking sharply at Moegi as she nervously voiced the question that had been running through their minds, he sighed before opening his mouth to respond. "We're being foll—." Cutting himself off abruptly, his face turned pale as he 'felt' the presence's of his bunshin vanish as they were dealt with quickly.

"Sensei?"

"No time! Run!" He yelled as his lips drew together in a grim line. Lagging behind the genin left in his care, his blue eyes hardened with the all too real possibility that they wouldn't make it to the village walls in time. Closing his eyes briefly, he prayed to any god that would listen to him that Gamakichi would find someone in time to help them. "Dammit! Run faster!" His lithe body picked up speed as the genin responded to his command trying to widen the distance between the two groups.

Ignoring the errant tree branches that whipped at his unprotected face he quelled his rising panic before anyone could take notice of it. Inhaling sharply he reached into his shuriken holster before spinning around to throw them in the direction of their pursuers. "Where the hell are the ANBU when you need the dumb bastards?" He muttered before his already strained nerves nearly snapped at the sight of his three students stilled forms. "What the hell are you three doing? Did I say you three could stop running?" He snarled before whirling around to deflect the incoming barrage of shuriken and kunai.

"Moegi, Udon, Konohamaru, stay behind me and don't get involved in this okay?" Pulling a kunai from his pouch, he held it defensively in his hand as Konohamaru began to protest his orders. "What are you saying! We can't let you fight by yourself." His body loosened into a fighting stance as he questioned in a somber tone. "Do you trust me?"

"Well yeah, but—." Konohamaru answered wondering where that question had come from.

"Then show it by listening to me." Not waiting for a response, Naruto lunged forward as the first of their attackers appeared from the bushes. The faint streams of sunlight that were able to pierce the forest canopy glinted off of the metal hitai-ate inscribed with a single musical note on its surface. His slight stature proved a blessing, as he was able to outmaneuver the Sound shinobi effortlessly. His fluid movements were like a dance as he put his experience fighting Neji to good use as he dodged or blocked the attacks aimed towards him.

Stabbing his kunai into the last of them, his head snapped up at the panicked yell behind him. Cursing vehemently as another one slipped out of the bushes close to his genin, he concentrated a quick burst of chakra in his feet to reach them first. His chakra nearly depleted from that, he was too slow in raising his blood stained kunai to block the incoming attack.

He stubbornly pushed away the blinding pain that threatened to overwhelm his senses from the sword wound on his stomach. Twisting his body, he bit his lip at the burning sensation his movements caused as he evaded yet another attack. Worry swelled as the flow of blood from his wound steadily increased from his attempts to protect the three behind him. Hissing as the sword pierced his shoulder, he immediately swung the hand holding the kunai up and felt a vicious sort of satisfaction when his kunai met flesh.

Lashing out with his foot he sent the other man sprawling to the forest floor as he pulled the sword out of his shoulder. Grasping it uneasily in one hand, he swung it down to point threateningly at the unprotected throat. "Why did you attack us?" He asked, his breathing harsh from both the exertions of the fight and his nearly nonexistent chakra. A vein in his forehead bulged unpleasantly as he met the fallen man's stubborn eyes. "You can tell me now and I'll kill you quickly." He said his blue eyes holding a hostile gleam in them. "Or your other option is that I take you back to Konoha and you can tell Morino Ibiki."

His mouth stretched into a triumphant smirk as first recognition of the name dawned in the other's eyes than full-blown panic set in. "You're in Orochimaru-sama's way." The man finally spat out, tossing a hate-filled glare up at the petite blonde whom simply nodded in acknowledgement. "You three" he said quietly. "Turn around." Waiting for the sounds of the three turning around, he struck hard with the sword in his hand, watching impassively as the red blood pooled on the forest floor. Leaning down, he removed the hitai-ate adorning the dead man's arm before straightening and tucking it into one of his pockets.

A low moan escaped his lips as the pain and exhaustion slammed into him forcing him to one knee. Grimacing, he pulled a couple of bandages from his pouch and hastily fixed them around his wounds before forcing himself back to his feet. Ignoring the worried looks aimed at him; he started to walk off in the direction of the village. "We need to keep moving. I doubt that was the last of them." He tossed over his shoulder, his words causing them to follow behind him quietly.

Coming to a small clearing, he paused for a moment to look up at the sun guessing at the time from the sun's position in the afternoon sky. Casting a glance behind him, he hid a small smile at the three lying haphazardly on the leaf covered ground. Sobering his mind wandered to the Sound shinobi that had ambushed them only fifteen minutes earlier and where the rest of their group could be hiding. Discreetly feeling his wounds, he made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat as his hand came back coated with a sticky layer of blood.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he blinked his eyes rapidly trying to dispel the black spots dancing in his blurry vision. Shaking his head with a barely audible sigh, he tilted his head to look back at his charges that were still resting on the ground. "Time to go." He said gently his expressive blue eyes taking in the weary look on their young faces as they slowly pulled themselves off of the ground to trudge along behind him.

Absently winding his way through the thick foliage, his mind wandered to thoughts of Gamakichi and whether the small toad had found his way to Konoha. The forest had never seemed so threatening before, and idly he wondered if this was how Kakashi-nii had felt all those times they themselves were in trouble. Hiding a wince as he felt a fresh trickle of blood slide its way down his body, he felt increasingly thankful that his clothing was now black instead of the garish orange.

Hearing a branch snap behind them, he held one hand above his holster as he peered into the darkened foliage surrounding them. Sapphire orbs widened in fear as his ears caught faint whispering from the underbrush even as he shouted out in alarm. "Get out of the way!" Throwing themselves to the ground, they looked up to see a large ball of fire hit the place they had just vacated. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small pill before popping it into his mouth and swallowing it dry.

Stretching his fingers as he felt the effects of his only soldier pill lift his chakra levels to a manageable amount, he squeezed Konohamaru's shoulder soothingly as he stood up from their place on the ground. "Jump back into the trees and stay there, the second I finish this." He murmured quietly as his hands flowed smoothly into familiar seals as he called out. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Mentally calculating the time they'd spent running in the forest, he figured that it had been close to forty-five minutes since he'd sent Gamakichi for help. Staying hidden behind a tall tree, he watched closely as his bunshin were one by one being popped out of existence. His eyelids began to feel heavy as he called up more Kage Bunshin and his chakra levels began to drop again. Hoping that the sounds of fighting would draw the attention of anyone in the area, he continued to use his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, steadfastly ignoring the alarming rate at which his chakra was diminishing as the fight wore on.

Tightening the bandages around his still bleeding injuries, he stepped out from behind the protection of the tree he was using as shelter. Looking up with what he hoped was a comforting expression, his heart sank at the frightened faces hiding up in the trees. Tearing his gaze away, he looked apprehensively towards the area where the last of his bunshin were putting in a valiant fight.

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." He said under his breath as he threw the last of his shuriken towards the two shinobi advancing on him. Easing into his well-practiced taijutsu stance, he gathered himself mentally before charging in to fight again. Knocking one of them unconscious he turned to face the last one when he was met with a fist. Flying back he slammed into a nearby tree with a sickening crunch as his arm snapped behind him. Sliding slowly to the ground, his vision turned blurry as he tried franticly to force his body to move. A large hand reached down to grab the collar of his shirt before lifting him up into the air. Cerulean eyes glaring defiantly at the man holding him, Naruto's shoulders sagged in relief as familiar voices could be heard coming close.

"Naruto!"

His friends were finally here.

TBC…

And that would be all for right now. I need to sort out the rest of what's going to happen and I really wanted to post this to let you all know I'm still alive so there you go. By the way, I've been trying to post this since Saturday night...Sorry it took until today to get it posted.


	9. Visions of Inheritance

Breaking Point

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

I realize that this is going to seem confusing but in the next chapter all will make sense.

Chapter Nine: Visions of Inheritance

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.

-Margaret Thatcher-

Considering that it was still the middle of the day, the hospital was eerily quiet, almost a reflection of the atmosphere inside the room at the end of the hall. Gently brushing back the blonde spikes of hair away from the sleeping boy's face, Tsunade sighed as she dropped heavily into the chair next to the bed. "Is there anyone that you don't have after you, gaki?" Hearing the soft footsteps of someone entering the room, she looked up to see Jiraiya quietly closing the door behind him.

"How bad is it?"

Snorting at the hesitant question from the normally confident sennin, she reached over to the foot of the bed and removed Naruto's medical chart. Flipping through the various pages until she found the one she was searching for, Tsunade cleared her throat. "Naruto's left arm was broken in three places, with minor muscle tearing along the elbow. Three ribs were cracked, while another four were broken, one of which came dangerously close to puncturing his lung." She said in a detached tone reciting the report word for word. "There was a deep stomach laceration, along with massive amounts of tissue and muscle damage to his left shoulder stemming from a katana stab wound. Various bruises, scrapes and cuts along with blood loss, chakra exhaustion and a new seal that's restraining Arashi's, but efforts to locate it have been unsuccessful."

Wincing at the detailed list of his apprentice's injuries, Jiraiya moved closer to the heavily bandaged boy. "What kind of seal are we talking about, Tsunade?" Snapping the hospital chart closed, Tsunade turned troubled eyes toward the questioning glance of the white haired sennin. "I don't know." She whispered faintly.

Nodding his head thoughtfully, the older man glanced over the young boy critically, taking note of the abnormally pale skin tone and pained expression. "So…has it been confirmed that Orochimaru was behind this?"

* * *

Sitting beneath the shade of a particularly large tree on the outskirts of one of the numerous training grounds, lavender eyes stared blankly at the gently swaying leaves above. It had been three days since he'd run out of the village walls searching for his lost friend, after a toad had found him looking for help.

Closing his eyes briefly, the line of his mouth thinned as he recalled the blind panic that had nearly overwhelmed him at the sight of the small blonde. With the exception of the failed Uchiha retrieval mission, he had never before seen the blonde so battered. The three that had followed him out of the village after being located by the toad had immediately removed Naruto from the area, as he'd been the one to engage the remaining shinobi.

Opening his eyes again, he idly wondered if the blonde had awoken yet, or if he was still in what Tsunade-sama called a healing coma. The barely noticeable sounds of crunching grass alerted him to the presence of the others. Snapping his head to the side, he was relieved to see that all of them had managed to come. Standing gracefully from his seat beneath the tree, he walked quietly to the center of the training grounds before turning to face his friends.

"We need to talk."

* * *

Groaning as feeling gradually returned to his limbs, Naruto's blue eyes opened to find himself lying sprawled in the middle of one of the training grounds. Fighting away the remnants of sleep, he pushed himself up from the sandy ground as his mind flashed back to everything that had just happened. "So you're finally awake huh?"

Spinning around at the voice coming from behind him, he lost his balance as his eyes met a pair identical to his own. Unnerved by the tall blonde man wearing a leaf hitai-ate, he studied the man closely taking in the shinobi garb. Deciding that he was in some weird dream brought on by too much blood loss, he quickly pinched himself only to yelp from the pain it caused. Puffing his cheeks out indignantly at the low chuckle that came from the man, he was surprised when a hand stretched down to help him up.

Grudgingly accepting the help, he brushed off the twigs and leaves that were clinging to his clothes. "We don't have a lot of time left, so let me get straight to the point." The man said suddenly, breaking Naruto's unnatural fascination with the condition of his clothing. "You. Are. An. Idiot."

Taking a step back at the sheer anger contained with the man's voice, Naruto stared dumbfounded as the man continued. "You relied so much on the Kyuubi's chakra to get you out of tight spots, that you never even considered the possibility that one day you might not have it." Reining in his anger at the young teen, his blue eyes softened as his voice lessened in its intensity. "I never wanted you to know the pain that comes with our blood."

Stop. Rewind. Play.

Blinking owlishly at the now smug looking man before him, Naruto mentally reviewed that last sentence. Wait for it. Wait for it. Bingo! "What the hell do you mean our blood?! I don't even know you old man!"

Eyebrow twitching furiously at the old man thrown so casually into the heated question, he sighed mentally wondering if he'd really been that annoying when he was that age. "Yes, _our blood_ you irritating little gaki." He finally retorted mockingly, watching in amusement as the boy created at least three new shades of red in his apparent dismay over the choice of words. "Now that we have that cleared up, lets move on to the important matters shall we?"

He barely repressed the urge to roll his eyes as the young blonde crossed his arms and sat down on the ground huffily, all the while glaring up at him. "Wonderful. I knew there was a reason Jiraiya looked so sadistically gleeful when I told him about you." He muttered under his breath before raising his voice again. "You." He started pointing directly at the still glaring blonde. "Somehow managed to piss off someone enough that they made a seal that almost completely seals the one already placed on you."

"WHAT?"

"Sit down, shut up and let me finish!" He yelled blue eyes flashing dangerously, having finally lost all semblance of patience in dealing with the teen. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand, he glared at Naruto until he finally sat back down after having sprung to his feet. "The seal used on you shortly after your birth had four major functions to it. Its primary functions were first and foremost were to contain it and to convert its chakra into your own. Following me here?"

"I already know all of this." Came the snippy reply as the older man raised his eyes upwards as though praying for some miraculous assistance in retaining his own mental wellbeing. "The reason that we're discussing this." He ground out through gritted teeth. "Is because you don't 'already know all of this.'"

Stalking off towards a tree stump, he leaned against it wondering if he was far away enough now that the temptation to strangle his only offspring would stop or at least lessen. Looking up as he heard shuffling footsteps coming towards him hesitantly before stopping, he allowed a small smile to grace his lips at the awkward expression worn by his son. "Look, I'm sorry alright."

Sighing softly as the boy shifted under his azure gaze uncomfortably after mumbling his apology, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his dark blue pants. "The secondary functions of the seal." He said continuing on as though nothing had happened, but still taking note of the relieved gleam in a certain pair of blue eyes. "Were to prevent any ill effects from the Kyuubi attempting to manipulate the chakra and/or chakra flow within your body, and to also seal our bloodline."

TBC…

There you go. Another chapter finished and it didn't take me forever and a day to do it either. Hope you all like it and as soon as I figure out how to make the next chapter work the way I want it to it will be typed and posted. Until then I'll be working some more on the irritating process of converting POV's.


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